The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-20
A Box of Pills.

1t Will not take muCn time TO explain
how DR.. 1nderwick came to write his
curious book entitled The AWfM Danger
of LedUing PoisonS accidentally about
the House.
One morning the doctor was starting
downtown, when he suddenly remem-
bered that he had made a mistake in
preparing certain box of pills. He
had put in some ten times too much of
very strong drug, and this would
make the pills dangerous to take. He
was very absent-minded man, and
this was the way his mistakes usually
came to his attention.
DIR. Inderwick grew pale. "This is
probably the worst mistake have made
yet," he said to himself. Maria,n he
called upstairs to his wife, I" did you
see box of pills in the parlor on the
table ?''
Yes" came down in the voice of
Mrs. Inderwick; "and as | saw they
were directed to Mrs. Simmons | gave
them to jeanette to give to Mrs. Sim
mons little girl at school. l supposed
you had forgotten them"
"Oh, Maria" he called back, " they
are wrongly made, and l greatly fear
they will hurt some one. | must find
jeanette instantly"
So the doctor fastened away to find
Jeanette. But first Mrs. Inderwick
made him put on a more comfortable
coat, that, just as he was leaving, came
in from Mr.. Stackpole's tailoring and
repairing shop on the next street. So,
with his nicely-repaired coat on that
had just come in from Mr.. Stackpole's,
the doctor started forth.
jeanette has been at school two
hours" thought the doctor, as he
strobe along, and she may have kept
never knew mistake of mine to end
so easily as that. 1t would be too good
altogether. They are sweet, and if she
has given them away for candy-I
don't want to think of it, l mustn't
think of it" the DOCTORS thoughts went
on, while he strobe forward yet more
rapidly. "But there were thirty-four
pills in that box. Possibly Jeanette
has by this time given one apiece to
each of thirty-four children, or say two
apiece to each of seventeen children.
In that case there will be good deal
of sickness. But possibly she has given
the whole thirty-four to one child, or
seventeen apiece to each of two chill
dren, and in that case"
AS fate would have it, no box of pills
awaited the anxious doctor at the
school when he got there. jeanette
did not have them, and of all places
that one can imagine, where had she
left them? In stove. Yes, incredible
as this may seem.
Jeanette, it seems, doubtless think
ing housekeeping an accomplishment
worth practicing, had private estab-
lishment of her own in the back yard
of Mr. TOdhunter, the slovenian, where
she and Mr.. Todhunter's daughter kept
house. jeanette used the oven of a
secondhand stove that CHANGED to
stand there for a cupboard, and it was
in this cupboard the box of pills had
been left.
On receiving this information DR..
Inderwick fastened to the stove-store.
Mr.. Todhunter," said he, Sc desire
you to take me, without moments
delay, to a secondhand stove that
stands in your back yard near the
southeast corner. You must not wait
a single moment, for if am not shown
the stove instantly | will not be re-
sponsible for the consequences. 1t
contains, in fact, a box of dangerous
pills left there by my daughter Jean
cite this morning, and shall have no
peace of mind till recover them.n
am very sorry indeed, DIR. Inder-
wick" replied Mr.. Todhunter, " but |
sold that stove not two hours ago to a
poor woman who lives on Poughkeepsie
street. | would not have sold it for
anufhinf, hoI I
box of pills; but of course | could not
be expected to know that, as pills are
usually kept in cupboards or medicine
chests and not in stoves. This poor
woman hasa good many children, who, if
they find the pills will probably eat them,
box and all, on the spot, so that you had
better go there as soon as you can"
DR.. Inderwick was off, in fact, like a
flash for Poughkeepsie street. The
poor woman and her children were all
well, and none of the dreadful things
had happened which Mr.. Todhunter
had led him to fear. On the contrary,
the pills had been found in the stove
and the poor woman had sent them to a
baker, thinking that as they were
pretty good-looking pills perhaps he
would give her a loaf of bread for them
which she needed much more than
medicine. The baker had done so
and thought he had the best of the
bargain, since by their looks they ap,
peared to him without question to be
the very same pills that he usually
bought for his rheumatism at price OF
twenty-five cents box.
6 Yes, they will cure him." said DR.
Inderwick, wildly, when he heard this
I" of the rheumatism and everything
else. Woman, you must show me in
stantly where this baker lives. | never
expect to find that box of pills, but
will follow it if it takes me to China"
The baker was easily found. The